Transfer Credit:

Graduate credits from an accredited institution
may be transferred if the courses have
been completed with a grade of "B" or
better and if the courses are appropriate
electives for the program. Required courses are
not normally accepted in transfer. The
maximum number of credits a student may
transfer is 6.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:

Number of Didactic Credits Required Beyond the
Baccalaureate: 30

Required Courses:

CS 5501: Modern Linguistics I-Syntax

CS 5502: Phonology I

CS 5503: Morphology

CS 5505: Issues in Linguistics

Internship: No internship is required.

Language Examination: No language examination is required.

Culminating Events:

Comprehensive Examination:

Comprehensive
examinations are intended to ensure that
graduating students have retained and integrated
the content of the curriculum and are able
to apply linguistic constructs and methods
of inquiry to concrete problems. Subject areas
consist of syntax, phonology, morphology,
and a fourth area chosen by the student
under advisement.
Comprehensive
examinations are taken in the final semester
of matriculation. Questions are
written by core or affiliated faculty members
with expertise in the areas being tested. Evaluation
is done by the faculty member who wrote
the question. Students are
expected to demonstrate knowledge of the
subject area, an ability to apply that knowledge
to concrete problems, and the ability to write
coherent academic prose.
Examinations
are administered as required. One hour is
allowed for each question. The examination
may be taken over one or two days. Proctoring
is done by faculty members or department
clerical staff.

Thesis (Optional):

Completing a master's thesis is optional.
If a student elects to write a master's thesis, up to six hours of credit in CS 9996: Thesis Seminar may be counted toward the required total of 30 hours.

About the Program

The M.A. Program in Linguistics has two purposes:
(a) it serves as a bridge program for students with
undergraduate degrees in other fields who want to
enter Ph.D. programs in Linguistics; and (b) with an
appropriate selection of electives, it prepares
students for careers in second language instruction
and related applications of Linguistics. Core coursework
focuses on formal linguistics and the history of
the field; electives include advanced work in formal
linguistics, as well as courses in languages, Philosophy, Psychology,
TESOL, and other fields related to Linguistics.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 3 years

Campus Location:

Main

Full-Time/Part-Time Status:

Students are required to complete the degree program
through classes offered after 4:30 p.m. Students
are also able to complete the degree program on a part-time
basis (8 credit hours or less per semester).

Department Information:

Interdisciplinary Study:

Students in Linguistics regularly
take courses in Anthropology, Education,
English, Philosophy, Psychology, and Spanish.

Affiliation(s):

Not applicable.

Study Abroad:

No.

Ranking:

Not applicable.

Accreditation:

Not applicable.

Areas of Specialization:

Faculty research activity is in morphology, phonology, and syntax. Affiliated faculty
in other departments have research interests
in language
acquisition, second language instruction, semantics, and socioloinguistics.
Faculty members have expertise in Bantu, Germanic, Romance, and Slavic languages.

Job Placement:

Graduates who have not gone on to
Ph.D. programs have become teachers of English
as a second language, translators, and linguistic
fieldworkers. Some students are in-service
teachers and fieldworkers.

Licensure:

Not applicable.

Non-Degree Student Policy:

All courses are available to nonmatriculated
students who have the appropriate background, but only 9 credits can be applied to the degree if admitted to the program.

Financing Opportunities

Teaching Assistants work with faculty in laboratory
classes. Research Assistants assist faculty
in research projects. Academic Interns and Graduate Externs do database management
for the clinical education program or the speech-language-hearing
center or engage in other administrative duties. Assistantships
carry a stipend and tuition remission for 9 graduate
credits. Students may be supported for more than
one semester. Applicants interested in competing
for assistantships should submit an assistantship
application (included in the application packet) and
curriculum vitae with their application to the program,
and should have all application materials in by
February 1.